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mellz117 · 4 years

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Hello all and welcome to part 4 of my playthrough of KH2 on the PS2. If you haven't seen the previous entries please go do that.

[ _1_ ] [ _2_ ] [ _3_ ]

To recap: The Wonders of Twilight Town are boring as hell. We spoke to Namine again, Roxas finally realizes his life this week is a lie and starts to remember his life in the Organization. DiZ is racist against Nobodies but we already knew that. Roxas and Axel fight, I wanted to cry. Roxas meets Sora in his sleeping pod before disappearing, I wanted to cry.

And the adventure continues

I wanna know how Sora wakes up in the real world when Roxas merges with him in the virtual one. How in CoM does Sora go to sleep in Castle Oblivion, the whole-ass chamber and then some get transferred to Twilight Town, Roxas meets him in a virtual version of the mansion, and Sora wakes up in the real mansion in KH2? Nomura please explain this series. Is Final Fantasy ever this convoluted?

Donald and Goofy call out to Sora and we're once again reminded this is a Disney game. I don’t know why but the fact that Disney owns the original Kingdom Hearts characters bothers me. It means, unless DISNEY gives the OK, Sora will never be in Smash Bros. and that makes me sad.

I don't know much about comas but after a year of total inactivity, wouldn't your muscles atrophy like, A BUNCH? At least is wasn’t 7... OR VENTUS WITH A WHOLE DECADE WTF?

Again WHY COULDN'T JIMINY JUST KEEP EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN CHAIN OF MEMORIES WRITTEN DOWN IN HIS JOURNAL INSTEAD OF A CRYPTIC MEMO TO THANK NAMINE?

The trinity trio wanders out of the mansion, loot some chests, and find their way to the back alleys of town.

Hayner is rude RIGHT outta the gate, wow. Ok I remember that Pence actually met Roxas in Days, and so to me he seems to recognize Sora through his memories of Roxas despite the two sharing like, one visual similarly: blue eyes. But KH3 to my understanding reveals that the virtual versions of characters affect the real version so I dunno!! WHAT IS THIS SERIES?

"Have you finished the summer homework yet?" Olette asks Sora and his two ANIMAL COMPANIONS as if seeing two anthropomorphic animals is fucking normal in a town comprised entirely of humans and exactly one moogle.

Sora doesn't have any homework. For over a year he's been away from home and his mom couldn't make him go to school. I wonder how she's doing? Does she miss her son? Kingdom Hearts and parents don't gel.

I like how.. When Pence describes this cloaked figure who was looking for the trinity trio, as having big, round ears, they have to think about who it could possibly be. They’re not too bright.

Why is “sofa” capitalized? Also they weren't even sitting on it, neither of them were!

HAYNER IS A RUDE BOY! He tells us so ask Seifer about the town, as we are new. Bruh, if you’re this rude to us I’m sure how much worse Seifer and his posse are.

Seifer is immediately confrontational. “You here to pick a fight with us?” and Sora’s all like “No, we’re new here.” and DONALD FUCKING DUCK! INSULTS SEIFER AND NOW EVERYONE’S READY TO THROW DOWN! THANKS TO THIS DUMB FUCK DUCK!

But thank Christ big chungus appears out of nowhere and stops the children and two adult furries from causing a scene.

This dude is WAY too into the Struggle tournament. Seifer has an unwanted faaaaan! Bro, go away, you’re creeping on a teenager.

I wanna fight Seifer.

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I'm not working on this like I should be. I'm going on vacation soon and since we're all in quarantine I can't really do anything fun so this is the opportune time to catch up.

Moving on! We make our way to the train station and oh no, we're ambushed by Dusks! Because of COURSE we are. Who could've seen THAT coming? /s

I- I like how, even after hearing his voice, and seeing his fucking mousey silhouette, the gang STILL might not be sure this is their stupid rat king. One brain cell between the three of them, I swear, and Goofy is the primary carrier, and it only sometimes works.

Why do we need to purchase tickets to travel on a magical train embarking to an ethereal plane of existence? I guess it's the principal of it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I HAVE A MIGHTY NEED TO HUG THIS BOY. LOOK, HE'S CRYING!

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Pence is so cute. I didn't care much for him when I was younger but he's such a cutie.

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I HAVE A MIGHTY NEED TO HUG THIS BOY. LOOK, HE'S SAD!

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It's fat cat Pete. For like ever, I had no idea he was a cat. Wonder what Maleficent saw in him to ally with him.

The trinity trio laughing about killing (or at least taking part in killing) Maleficent. "She's toast!" this sure is early 2000's dialogue...

Heartless everywhere! "You mean the worlds aren't at peace after all" well, no sweetie. It takes time for things to recover from horrible events. *looks at current state of the real world*

So like, I had no idea Yen Sid was a Keyblade warrior??? I had read about that in his Wiki page when I googled if any Keyblade warriors were left handed. (Ven might be, but more likely ambidextrous) But I guess being Mickey's teacher would imply his Keyblade wielder roots but whatever, I didn't pay attention when I was a teenager.

Yen Sid's decor is baffling. What are these bookshelves? What are these BOOKS? They're huge!

Good on Yen Sid for using singular “they” pronouns in 2005.

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On to our change of wardrobe. Without a doubt Sora's best look in the whole series, in my humble opinion. Lookit my handsome boy.

And Sora learns about drive forms, blah, blah, blah, powerful forms, gotta sacrifice something like in Duel Monsters, in this case an ally.

Yen Sid is so boring.

All seriousness and tension is just broken as soon as Goofy’s name is uttered, at least Sora and Donald have normal names wtf.

It’s interesting how like, 15 years later, Union X explains how Maleficent was able to return after her defeat. Something about, as long as someone from your original time remembers you and you have a physical object to represent you you’re able to basically some back from the dead. Right? Am I right on that? I haven’t played it but I’m hanging by a thread on this loop.

Sora’s hard work down the drain...

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Hollow Bastion! And of course there’s trouble. Heartless, Nobodies, and Yuffie, oh my!

A problem sequels have to work around is when the protagonist needs to relearn their abilities. KH does a well and good job with this one. In CoM, it’s a different battle style, in KH2 Sora’s been asleep for a hear prior.

Also, Merlin “leant” Sora some magic spells? How does that work? Like, once you learn it you can’t just... give that knowledge back...?

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How old is Leon? He has no right being this pretty.

Another ambush by Nobodies. Give it a rest, would ya? Battle ensues, Leon deals the final blow against an enemy, and as the camera usually does, zooms in on the victor and we get a nice slow-mo crotch shot of Leon. Thanks, game... Then, Xemnas’s very sexy, very manly voice echoes across town and the organization appears before our protagonists. I’m weak.

Demyx’s laugh, dude. I love it. Sora is ready to throw hands with anyone in his way. Honey, you’re barely out of a magic coma and this dude is like, two whole feet taller than you. Not to mention very fit.

I’m done thirsting over Xemnas...

After a few taunting words, the new villains depart, Donald attempts to give chase somehow? Where you gonna go? They disappeared behind dark corridors. It seems Goofy is still holding onto that shared brain cell.

The Bastard

I like the majority of the Organization. Xigbar is definitely one of my favorites based on this next scene alone. He’s so snarky and full of shit. I love it. He’s great. He was definitely a stoner at some point.

I’m confused though. “He used to give me that same exact look!” the Wiki says Xigbar’s talking about Ven but I always thought he was referring to Roxas? Did Braig and Ven have a history? That’s implied in Days (which released before BbS) IDK dude. I’m surprised I’ve gone this long without spoiling myself too much on BbS. Like, a few story beats here and there but a lot of it isn’t gonna be known until I play it.

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The dialogue for KH2 was so different from the first game. It dates itself so much in comparison.

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Xiggy stands like this for 7 whole seconds parting with a condescending “Be a good boy now!” before disappearing. I love this fucker.

Leon, who’s been sitting on the sidelines this whole time, joins Sora and the others after the real threat is gone. We chitchat for a little bit and say our goodbyes. It’s time to leave this place and move on to one of two available worlds.

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At the Beast's Castle. After fighting a hoard of Shadows, the least intimidating enemy in the series (although the demon tower in kh3 is quite frightening nlg), the Beast himself makes his appearance, takes out the Heartless that suddenly stop multiplying upon his arrival, disgracefully shoves his supposed friends aside, and takes his precious rose to the west wing, which is where it SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. ADAM WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

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No joke one of the funniest actual gags in the whole series is:

*Donald Duck manhandling Cogsworth*

Cut to Sora saying "I'm glad you're OK." to Lumiere

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OK the minigame where you gotta light the magic torches, why do we have to make sure Cogsworth has enough strength to keep the lever down when we have two perfectly capable companions that can hold it down instead? I remember this sequence being a lot more annoying when I was a teen.

Xaldin's voice makes me feel things. Ahhh he sounds so tired lol. He peaces out and we fight the Beast. I remember getting him to calm down being harder.

"Xaldin used my anger to control me!" Says Beast. He angers very easily so this must have been a cinch. Xaldin's been obsessed with him since Days so I would imagine this intel would come in handy.

More fodder to fight and on to the boss. Phase one is just an angrier version of the Darkball Heartless. Phase two is just skinny Ganon. I like its design though.

“Belle, I’m sorry. I wasn’t myself, being all rude and overall kind of a jackass to you and my servants” Except that’s kinda how you’ve always been lmao. Just because you couldn’t choose not to be an ass here doesn’t change that this IS in character. Still gotta work on that a bit.

“You don’t have to apologize” No, no he still does.

They all reconcile and the Trinity Trio departs until Xaldin shows up again to wreak more havoc.

Time to move on to the next world.

#mellz plays kh2 #Kingdom Hearts series #Kingdom Hearts 2 #square enix #disney #PlayStation 2

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anothers-trash-my-treasure · 5 years

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His Only Dance Partner

Uh, hey. So, I rewatched the last five episodes of the Pacific and was greatly inspired by the last episode to write this because I will never be able to stomach the fact that Snaf just left Eugene on the train. So I’m sorry, I know no one asked for this. But I needed it to happen.

I promise I’m gonna start working on requests again soon, I know I’m the worst.

Pairing: Sledgefu (Ya that’s right you heARD ME)

Word Count: 2100ish

Warnings: Mentions of war...I think that’s it?

Tag List: @the-almond-dinger @elliotmercury @r-ahh-mi

Let me know if you wanna be put on my permanent tag list and I’ll try to remember lol.

“Your lonely nights are numbered, Eugene.”

Eugene stifles an eye roll. This conversation, the topic being his virginity and the women in Mobile with his brother, was one he had been dreading. Sure, what he told his brother had been true, the only women in their part of the Pacific were nurses and they were very much off limits. But Eugene didn’t want them to be on limits. Why would he when he had everything he could have ever dreamed, right there with him.

Keyword being ‘had’, as everything he could have ever dreamed left him on the train without so much as a simple goodbye or a note. But no, Edward, Eugene was not a virgin anymore, had not been for some time. He can’t help but doubt his brother's words, his lonely nights are most certainly not numbered. They feel endless to Eugene. With every sleepless night that passes, filled with false images of sea green eyes draining of life, of dark blood staining everything it touches and of too loud explosives, Eugene’s hope of no longer being alone, in that way, dwindles a little more.

He can’t listen to his brother talk about the ball. All he can focus on is the heart-wrenching pain he felt when he woke up alone, blinking the sleep from his eyes expecting to find curly hair and a sly smile but instead found an ugly, empty train seat staring back at him. The pain that never quite faded, even after coming to grips with the simple truth. Eugene fell in love. And clearly, it wasn’t a two-sided love as he had thought.

“You wear your uniform to that ball, all the ripe fruit will be falling at your feet.”

No. Eugene thinks, he doesn’t want ripe fruit. And he certainly, doesn’t want to put on that godforsaken uniform.

He doesn’t put on the uniform. But he goes to the ball, for what reason, he’s not sure. Sid pulled him along, saying something or another about spiking the punch and dancing with Mary’s friend Sue. But as the night wore on and as Eugene stayed to sidelines of the ball, Sid began to back off, opting to dance with his fiance instead.

There were too many people. All pressed too close together, Eugene could practically feel the heat radiating off of everyone at once. The music was too loud. The melody swang nicely, made your body sway without you even realizing it. But it reminded Eugene all too much of one that was hummed in his ear during those long nights huddled in a fox hole. He watched couples dance, staring sweetly into each other's eyes and laughing at words spoken only for them. And he was overcome with at first jealousy. It wasn’t fair, that these couples could dance, press their lips against one anothers and be close. And then anger, because when Eugene had someone, they were limited. Limited to stolen kisses in the dark when everyone was sleeping, to subtle touches when no one was paying attention, to barley believed lies and stolen glances. The pairs at the ball could be with one another without fear of consequence. Yet if Eugene had been caught, or even suspected of his relationship, if it could be called that, Eugene wasn’t so sure anymore, they had to fear the worst.

It was all too much. Making a bee-line for the door, Eugene fished the pipe out of his pocket, barely refraining from lighting it before he got outside. His legs carried him away from the people, just far enough where he couldn’t be accused of leaving, just simply getting some air. Inhaling deeply, Eugene let the smoke from his pipe fill his lungs, exhaling the smoke quickly when the taste of it sparked another memory that made his heart clench. In an attempt to take his mind off of him, Eugene revelled in being alone. It had felt like forever since he was truly alone. His mother always hovering over his shoulder, his father's concerned gaze watching him from afar.

It’s cut short though, interrupted by Sid handing him a glass of punch. He can tell Sid wants to talk more about why he’s alone, and Eugene isn’t sure that he’ll be able to keep his big mouth shut if he gets asked one more time. So he lets himself ramble about another concern, a popular one among those who made it home. Why did they make it? When so many other men, married men, good men, young men, didn’t. He lets Sid talk about it, lets him tell him how he got over it, how he’s still getting over it, until Mary snags him away again.

“C’mon, I can wrangle you up a partner.” Sid tries one last time.

Eugene forces a smile, “No thanks, Sid.” He says. I only want one dance partner.

When he’s alone again, he lets his composure slip. He feels the tears pricking behind his eyes as his mind slips back to the train. Why didn’t he say goodbye? Did Eugene not mean as much to him as he did to Eugene? He knows there’s no sense dwelling on it, nothing good will come of it. But the punch, and whatever it’s been spiked with, makes his hurt all the more present.

Eugene tilts his head up, looking at the stars above. He wonders if he is looking up at the same stars too. So far away yet under the same sky. His eyes find a straight line of stars, and just his luck, they angle upwards too. His mouth quirks up a bit at the memory, remembering how his chest filled with adoration when the words fell from his mouth, a signature smirk at his lips, eyes sparkling with mischief. If he closes his eyes, he thinks he can actually hear the son of a bitches voice.

“The hell you doin?”

Eugene’s eyes fly open.

“Standin’ out here when ya could be inside, dancin’ with some broad?”

His head jerks towards the voice and he can’t believe his eyes. There he stands, barely illuminated by the garden lights around him, cropped pants and a dark t-shirt. His hair still an unruly mess of curls and those sea green eyes still glimmer in the dark. Eugene huffs out a breath, his body feels frozen. He wants, so desperately to do so many things. He wants to punch the sly, if slightly nervous, smile off the other mans face but he also wants to take him into his arms and never let the bastard leave again. He does neither, instead opting for speaking, willing his voice to not come out shaky.

“Don’t wanna dance with some broad, Merriell.” He pauses and adds quietly, “You know that.”

Merriell looks down, hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck as he takes a nervous step forward. When he looks back up, the sly smile and mischief are gone, replaced with uncertainty and vulnerability.

“Then who ya wanna dance with?”

Eugene's throat is tight, his fingers shaking as he taps the leftover tobacco out of his pipe and shoving it back in his pocket. He looks backwards at the venue hall, observing the people standing outside and on the balcony. There’s too many of theme, too many prying eyes that wouldn’t understand what they’d see if they looked over. He shakes his head, looking back at the other man before walking towards him. He ignores the flinch that is pulled out of Merriell when Eugene grabs onto his wrist, tugging him away from the lights and sounds and prying eyes.

“We can’t do this here.” He hisses.

He doesn’t know where he’s taking him. He just knows they have to go somewhere no one else is. They have to be alone. He wants to scream at Merriell, just wants to know why but he also whats the other man to know how much it hurt to wake up without him. He knows they’re going to draw attention, no matter what ends up happening. So he drags Merriell away from civilization, into his stretch of field that he’s come to love since being home. Since he’s discovered it, no one else had come to the spot. He figured this was good enough.

“Jesus Sledge, if I had known you were gonna take me hiking I would’ve stayed in shape.” Merriell says, hunching over to catch his breath when Eugene finally stops.

“You fucking asshole.” Eugene grits out and immediately regrets it when he sees a flash of hurt spread across Merriell’s face.

“‘Gene, I-” Merriell starts but stops just as quickly, “I don’t know what ta say,” he says in a near whisper, avoiding the other man’s hard stare.

“I just-” Eugene paused to swallow the lump his throat, willing himself not to cry, “I just want to know why.” When Merriell doesn’t say anything he continues, “Why didn’t you wake me up? Do I not deserve a goodbye? Or at least a note? Or, I don’t know Snaf, a fucking explanation of some kind?” He can’t stop his voice from raising.

“Eugene-” Merriell tries but Eugene just keeps talking.

“After all we’d been through. I mean, come on Snaf, the number of times we pulled each other out of the line of fire just in time. And I don’t get a fucking goodbye?” He knows a tear or two have fallen on his cheeks but he doesn’t care, “I guess I just thought I meant more to you than that.”

“You do!” Merriell finally shouts before Eugene can start up again, “I didn’t say goodbye ‘cause I couldn’t, okay? You mean so damn much to me Eugene, I couldn’t give you a goodbye ‘cause it would have meant never seeing ya again.” He stops, swallows, and his next words are uttered so softly, Eugene barely hears them, “It hurt too much to say goodbye, so I jus’ didn’t say anythin’ at all.”

They stare at each other, fists clenched at their sides and breathing heavily. It’s gotta be about midnight now, Eugene figures. The moon is high above them, casting plenty of light into the open field. Eugene almost wishes there was no light at all, that way he wouldn’t be able to see the guilt on the other mans face.

The silence is finally broken by a broken sigh from Merriell, “I’m sorry, ‘Gene. Ya don’t deserve this, I should go-”

Eugene panics. He can’t let him go away again. And he certainly can’t watch this time. He does the only thing he can think of. He reaches out, wraps his fingers around a bony wrist, pulls the other man to his chest and kisses him,

The momentum of Eugene’s pull makes their teeth clash, they come together too hard but somehow, it’s still perfect. Eugene revels in the feeling of having Merriell’s lips against his own again for the first time in months. For the first time in months, he feels like everything could be okay again.

He feels a hand fist in his suit jacket, no doubt wrinkling the fabric. A sound of relief escapes Merriell’s throat and Eugene finds his hands cupping at his face as they kiss desperately. When they finally pull away from each other, their breathing heavily, foreheads pressed against one another. Eugene plays with the curls at the back of Merriell’s head, a small smile gracing his lips. His eyes open and he finds himself lost at sea, he thinks to himself he wouldn’t mind drowning there.

“So ‘Gene, who ya wanna dance with?” Merriell asks softly, a slight teasing edge to his voice and lips curled in a soft smile.

“I only wanna dance with you, Merriell.”

The admission frees what feels like a thousand pounds off of Eugene's chest. He finds the other man grinning so wide he almost looks crazy before he pulls Eugene down into another kiss.

“Y’know,” Merriell gets out in between kisses, “I don’t think Mobile is gonna be too forgiving of our situation.”

“So we leave,” Eugene says, as if it’s the simplest thing, to just pack up and leave everything he’s ever known outside of the war, “we’ll go wherever we’re most welcome.”

Merriell bites his lip thoughtfully, searching Eugene's eyes for any sign of reluctance. When he finds none, he nods frantically, “I’ll go anywhere with you, boo.”

When the Sledge household wakes up the next day, all they find in Eugene’s wake is a note and an empty dresser. Eugene spent the whole war hiding who he was, and he’ll be damned if he’s gonna continue living that way. Especially since everything he ever could have dreamed is back by his side.

#eugene sledge #sledgefu #Merriell Shelton #Snafu Shelton #merriell snafu shelton #sledgehammer #sledgefu fanfiction #im sorry

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incorrectmidc · 7 years

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Once Upon A December

Note: Finally MC has a name here. Lol. Some of you might remember her for I’ve made a post about her before. Remember Georgette Lee? Louis’ supposed twin sister? Yeah, she’s my MC here. :)

Okay, a few things before you read, Leo and Alyn are princes of Wysteria, with Leo as the Crowned Prince and Heir Apparent to the throne. I also made Elise Sannes their older sister. The king of Wysteria remains unnamed.

What else... yeah, this is inspired by Game of Thrones (the setting) and Anastasia (the plot, kind of) so expect to see similarities (mostly from Game of Thrones, since I haven’t seen Anastasia yet).

Warning for crude words, mostly uttered by Sid. XD

i. QUEEN OF LOVE AND BEAUTY

“Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth.” ーA Song of Ice and Fire

The sound of trumpets, drums and jovial cheering rang all over the palace courtyard that morning. Highborn lords and ladies of the Kingdom of Wysteria were sitting comfortably inside the tents, chatting amiably with each other as they waited for the participants of the day's tourney. It was the king's 50th nameday and a week-long tourney and feast was held in honour of his name. It was well-attended by the highborns of the society for they also see it as an opportunity to match their sons and daughters to the royal children, especially to the heir of the Willow Throne, Prince Leo.

"Good morning, m'lord," three servant girls greeted Ser Xeno Gerald as he walked down the hallway towards the chambers of the youngest Crawford royalty. They giggled softly as he returned the greeting with a polite smile on his face. He wasn't even a feet away from them when he heard them whispering to each other.

"Ser Xeno is really handsome, isn't he?"

"I find him more handsome than Prince Leo and Prince Alyn combined."

"The lady he will choose is so lucky."

I can hear all of you, you know, Xeno mused, his expression not giving away his thoughts. Not to be conceited, he's well aware of the fact that he's good-looking enough to catch the eyes of ladies, highborn and common folk alike. And though he has fooled around once or twice, through Sid's urgings, he has never thought of ladies and marriage altogether. In fact, he didn't think he would ever marry. For him, his whole life was dedicated to serving and protecting the prince he'd sworn his sword to, and exactly the same person who became his first friend when he arrived in Wysteria, Alyn Crawford. "Love is the death of duty."[1] He always heard his uncle, Robert Branche, say that and he wholeheartedly agree to it. So instead of setting his sights on a lady, he was focused on becoming a member of the Kingsguard someday.

He stopped in front of Prince Alyn's chambers and knocked ー two short knocks followed by three long ones ー an indication that it was him. It was a signal he and the prince invented during their younger days when they were about to cause mischief. It became a habit of them ever since then.

A muffled "come in" was heard from the opposite side of the door and he took it as his cue to enter. One fine eyebrow rose when he spotted his best friend sitting in front of his dresser, getting his hair and a week's worth of facial hair shaved. "It's a good change seeing you getting cleaned up, my prince," he said as he approached and fought the urge to laugh as he watched Prince Alyn close his eyes in agony when the stubble that he was trying so hard to grow was slowly rid of. "Shave him good, Tommy," he told the barber. "He's never liked a woman more than he likes his own hair."[2] This time he laughed when the prince sent him a pointed look.

When he was all shaven clean and his hair trimmed, Xeno helped the prince with his mail and armour. Like him, Prince Alyn would be joining the tourney. But then also unlike him, the youngest prince didn't like it one bit. Of course he's neither a craven nor a lousy fighter, he just didn't see the point of a joust. "It's an opportunity for you to show your skills, my prince. A way to impress the nobility," Xeno told him once wherein Prince Alyn's reply was a un-prince-like snort and a comment of "my king father just wants to find me a bride." Xeno gave no reply to that because the prince had been right on the dot with his comment.

"Pray tell me why you have shaven today, Crawford," Xeno asked, amusement in his voice, as fastened the prince’s armour on the shoulder. While the prince's older sister, Princess Elise, was so particular on how her brothers, even her father, looks, the king was the last person to mind if they were all presentable enough despite his status as the King of Wysteria. So it was quite a surprise for Xeno, to be honest, when he found out that it was the king who ordered Prince Alyn to make himself presentable.

"My guess is as good as yours, Xeno," Prince Alyn replied somberly, not minding the fact that Xeno just referred to him casually. He was, in fact, used to it. And even thankful for it. He and Xeno Gerald were friends ever since they were both eight years of age. The latter was brought to Wysteria, two decades ago, by Master Robert Branche, Xeno's uncle who was also the court painter. He became the princes' playmates but it took Prince Alyn and Prince Leo a year to have the quiet, gloomy child to smile. Their father and Master Robert have warned them never to ask about Xeno's family for the boy just lost them in a fire. It was a rule that the Crawford children obeyed religiously though they slipped up one day and witnessed how Xeno tensed up, horror clearly etched on his young face.

Ever since then, the three royal offspring swore that they wouldn't make a mistake of bringing it up anymore. They like Xeno, especially Prince Alyn, for the boy never treated them like a god, something to be revered and handled with care. Instead, Xeno Gerald treated them like they were just ordinary children, though he didn't dare do it in public lest he gets punished. For the Crawford children, it was like a breath of fresh air in a polluted space.

"I'd stake my life and wager that it has got something to do with Leo and you getting a bride," Xeno said confidently, a smirk showing up on his face when Prince Alyn glared at him. "It's your king father's nameday, my prince. What could be a better gift than to have his sons finally choose a queen?"

"I'm not going to be a king so I don't need a queen," Prince Alyn countered as he tucked his greatsword on his side. It was made of the finest steel that money can buy in the whole known world. The sword had been a present from the king himself when Prince Alyn turned fifteen. The official Crawford greatsword was already presented to Prince Leo with his status of being the Heir Apparent to the throne so the king had another greatsword forged for his youngest son. The king then explained that the sword’s design and look ー all black with little carvings of a foreign language ー also served as a homage to the family that fostered Alyn for three years ー the House of Wagner, the royal family that founded and once ruled the mysterious kingdom of Stein, not to mention the fact that the Crawfords and Wagners are distant relatives.

"You'll be lord of Laurelia someday and you'll need a lady wife," Xeno reminded his best friend. "You and Leo. Even Sid. Feasts in Wsyteria are held for prince and princess, lords and ladies, to find someone to wed."

Prince Alyn snorted at the mention of their other friend, the Heir of the Archduke Grandier, Lloyd, or more known as Sid. "I honestly cannot imagine Sid settling down. Just like Uncle Aubin, the whores at the brothels would be swallowed with grief if ever he finds a lady wife someday."

Xeno laughed at that. Princess Elise would surely cringe at her baby brother's crude words, if ever she could get over the shock of learning that he could actually say those without even batting an eye. "Sid's a man of surprises, my prince. He might do something one day, something enough to give us all a heart attack." The two of them laughed at that.

A loud knock on the door got their attentions and Prince Alyn turned serious as Xeno answered the door. The grin returned to the young knight's face when he saw who it was. "Sid. The prince and I have just been talking about you," he said as he opened the door wider to let his other friend in.

Sid huffed. "My lord father has been pestering me again about getting a bride. Says I'm old enough to father an heir and it's safer to have just one cunt to fuck than to risk siring bastards," he grumbled which made Xeno laugh again and Prince Alyn to roll his eyes.

The prince looked at his sworn sword. "It seems like you've deduced correctly, Oh Great Knight." He gave his best friend a mock bow. "Do enlighten us, your lowly servants, more."

"Your fathers," Xeno looked at Prince Alyn then back at Sid. "If either the two of you, or Leo, wins the tourney today, they will do their best to set you up with the lady you'd be naming as Queen of Love and Beauty." He laughed once more when he saw how Sid went pale at his words.

"Then I'll just name Elise as the Queen of Love and Beauty," Prince Alyn declared after a moment of thoughtful silence. Xeno arched an eyebrow at that. He got a vague feeling that Alyn knows something he didn’t.

"You think something like that could stop our fathers? I'd wager the king already have someone in mind," Sid commented to which Xeno nodded in agreement. The young Granider then narrowed his eyes at Xeno. "Are you doing this so we would purposefully lose to you?"

Xeno smirked, not the least bit insulted about what Sid have said. "No. My only aim at the tourney today is to be able to go against Ser Giles Christophe," he answered in all honesty. Giles Christophe was the heir of one of the oldest and wealthiest family in Wysteria, the Christophe family, but he threw everything away when he decided to join the Kingsguard where they weren't allowed to marry or inherit lands and properties. Giles Christophe was only a boy of ten and six when he was named as one of the king's seven, making him the youngest Kingsguard in history. And it was him who led the army who thwarted a sudden pirate attack by the harbours of Wysteria, turning him into a hero by both the highborns and the common folk. He was Xeno's muse for becoming a knight and he wanted to become someone like Ser Giles Christophe someday.

"And I would love to see you unseated by Giles Christophe," Sid retorted. It wasn't their first time to join a tourney yet it would be the first time that Giles would be joining with them. The Hero of Wysteria, as what he's called, rarely joins tourneys, as if he's repulsed by the act. It had been a pleasant surprise, at least on Xeno's part, to discover that The Hero, his Hero, would be participating at the tourney today.

"At least I wasn't the one pressured to choose a bride," Xeno threw back, looking absolutely smug when Prince Alyn and Sid scowled at him. "You don't know how grateful I am at this very moment that I'm not a highborn like you two," he gave a mock bow to his two friends, "my prince, my lord."

"We'll kill you someday, you fool," Sid muttered with Prince Alyn agreeing beside him. Xeno only answered them with a laugh.

"Enough of this," the prince said as he headed to the door. "We have to go or we'll be late. We won't hear the end of it from Elise if that happens." Xeno and Sid groaned at that as the three young men left the prince's chambers and headed to the stables where their horses were waiting.

"You look bored, my dear sister," Louis said when he spied his twin sister, Georgette, looking around the stables in a totally disinterested way. As the current champion, he was expected to join the tourney once more to defend his title. He had won the last tourney during Prince Leo and Alyn's nameday and named his sister the Queen of Love and Beauty. This time though, his father have told, more than commanded him, to name the Princess Elise the Queen of Love and Beauty when he wins the tourney. Such confidence in you father that I would win this tourney again. He wasn't sure if he would win this time to be honest. Giles Christophe would be participating. Plus, he didn't even want to be here just like his sister. All he wanted to do was to be left alone in the duchy so he could continue the tons of work waiting for him back at home in peace.

"I just came here to wish you luck, my sweet Louis," Georgette replied, a true smile on her lips as she looked up at him. "I pray you get your heart's desire today," she added almost knowingly and he had the grace to blush. She just let out a soft chuckle as she stepped closer. "Shall I help you with your armour then?" she asked and he nodded, a comfortable air surrounding them.

In order to escape the inevitable marriage that would come someday, Louis announced over dinner one night that he would want to become a member of the Kingsguard. Everyone, except for Georgette and their lady mother, had been totally surprised. A member of the kingsguard was strictly forbidden from taking a wife and inheriting a land or any property. His whole life must only be devoted to the king and his family. It was no problem for him since he didn't want a wife or a land at all.

As expected, his father threw a fit at his declaration. As honourable and prestigious the idea of a Kingsguard may be, the prospect of losing his one and only heir was unimaginable. As a result, Louis found himself meeting with potential wives the next several days.

"I wish you luck with your bethrotal to Prince Alyn, dear sister," he said, not missing it when Georgette's eyes of cerulean ー the colour of the summer sky ー clouded a bit. Their father's greatest dream was to see even one of his blood rule over the kingdom of Wysteria. He would've had offered his only daughter to Prince Leo, the Heir Apparent to the throne, but was utterly disappointed when he learned that the crowned prince was already seeing someone and their bethrotal would be announced after this tourney. Their lord father, not wanting to give up, settled for Prince Alyn then. He said that the youngest might not be the Heir but he was the one who would inherit the Crawford's ancestral seat, Laurelia. He even went further by saying that should the political tension in the Kingdom of Stein be addressed, Prince Alyn would be the rightful candidate for the position of king because of their family's blood relation, no matter how distant it was, to the last King of Stein, Gerald Wagner.

"Thank you, Louis," Georgette replied as she helped him with his breastplate. "Prince Alyn is quite a catch and he's a polite young man. He'll be a good husband to me," she said. She and the youngest Crawford prince have met each other back when they were just kids when she was sent to the kingdom of Stein, to be fostered under the Wagner Family. Prince Alyn was also there, visiting. She befriended him along with the Wagner children.

During a private dinner last night, she had the pleasure of getting acquainted with Prince Alyn's older siblings, Prince Leo and Princess Elise. She found them quite entertaining, unlike Alyn who seemed to have changed. The youngest prince was different from the mischievous boy she knew back then. He was now too quiet and too serious for her own liking but when that pet of his, a brown wolf, came padding into the room, his face lit up and his crimson eyes twinkled. The sight made Georgette's heart ache with longing. Longing for someone so dear to her but was lost now. Oh how much Prince Alyn reminded her of him when he smiled. "I think I could learn to love him in time."

But Louis wasn't fooled by her words. He had easily seen her melancholic smile. It had been two decades and they have been children back then, prone to puppy love, sweet dreams and things as such. He's never been in love yet so he's not certain if he could love a mere memory of a boy like his sister does. "After all this time?"[3] he asked.

Georgette nodded as unshed tears glistened in her eyes. Louis is the only one she dared reveal her real feelings to. They understand each other more than anyone else in the family. "Always,"[4] she whispered softly that he almost not heard it.

The crowd cheered as the tourney participants rode in the field one by one. Georgette immediately spotted Prince Alyn astride his horse with fur the same colour as Arthur's. The prince's armour was red and white, bearing the crest of the royal family. Beside him was a knight also wearing the red and white of the Crawford family. His helmet was covering almost all of his face save for his left eye.

It was the first time Georgette has ever seen said knight and she narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward to take a closer look at the man. Her heart began to hammer in her chest as she registered the man's one visible eye when he and Alyn stopped in front to greet the king. It was a familiar shade of grey, the colour of the sky when a looming storm is about to sweep in. The same as... "Who is that man riding beside Prince Alyn?" she asked her handmaiden when the two young men walked away. "I don't reckon I have seen him before."

"That's Ser Xeno, my lady. Xeno Gerald," her handmaiden replied, a small blush on her face as she stared at the knight, too. Georgette raised an eyebrow at that. "He's Prince Alyn's sworn sword and Master Robert's nephew."

"I never knew Master Robert has a nephew," Georgette commented, her expression thoughtful and her eyes never left Xeno's form. She watched as Lloyd Grandier rode up to the two, clapping Xeno on the back with a huge grin on his face. The mysterious knight said something to Prince Alyn and Sid which had the two laughing. "He and Lloyd Grandier seemed close."

"They are very close, my lady," her handmaiden, who was secretly fond of gossip, eagerly replied. "I heard he, Prince Leo, Prince Alyn and Lord Sid grew up and trained together. Prince Alyn and Ser Xeno were even taught by the Grand Maester himself."

"And I heard other ladies say that Ser Xeno is as handsome as Prince Alyn and Prince Leo. Others say he's even more handsome than them," Georgette's other handmaiden, who heard what they were talking about, added.

The youngest Howard raised an eyebrow at that but before she could say anything, her lady mother interjected. "Handmaidens aren't supposed to gossip," she reprimanded, her eyes sharp, making the two girls bow their heads in embarrassment. She then turned her gaze to her daughter. "Most especially highborn ladies," she added. "It won't do you any good to set your sights on any man other than your intended, my sweet. You wouldn't want to anger a Crawford."

Georgette nodded solemnly, not letting any emotions escape from her face. "I understand that, mama." Both she and Prince Alyn didn't want the marriage for the prince knew she loves someone else. But though they were forced together, they never voiced out any objections about it since the two of them mutually thought that they're better off together than with anyone else. "I was merely curious about Ser Xeno. I have never heard of him until today." And Prince Alyn never even told her anything about his sworn sword and how they've been friends since they were children.

Her mother didn't respond to that so Georgette returned her focus on the field when the King's tourney began. The contest was intense. The men participating, even Prince Alyn who didn't like it, were competitive. The youngest Crawford prince was able to unseat his older twin brother, Prince Leo. The Crowned Prince merely laughed at that as he clapped Alyn on the shoulder, telling him that he better win to salvage their honour in a jesting manner. Alyn only gave him a small scowl in reply.

Ser Xeno was quite magnificent in his own right, too. The mysterious knight managed to unseat Lloyd Grandier and even the current champion and her brother, Louis. Now, he was about to face Prince Alyn, the victor between the two of them would be facing Ser Giles Christophe in the championship.

"I'm not going to show any mercy, Alyn," Xeno said as he and Alyn prepared themselves. He looked around the courtyard, his gaze falling upon a beautiful young lady seated beside an older woman that he knew to be the Lady of the illustrious Howard family. He gave a start when he realised that she was looking at him, too. There was something familiar in the young lady that he couldn't put his finger to though. Feeling suddenly bold, he gave her a mischievous wink before pulling the visor of his helmet over his eyes. He grinned underneath his armour when he saw her smile instead of being put off by his bold behaviour.

"Show me your worst, Xeno," Alyn replied then the two of them grinned at each other before walking off to the opposite sides of the courtyard to where their respective horses were stationed.

In the end, Xeno proved to be a stronger lance than Prince Alyn. They jousted four times before the former managed to unseat the youngest prince off his horse, his helmet knocked off his head. The prince shook his head to stop the dizziness he was feeling as Xeno galloped towards him. "I wasn't serious when I told you to do your worst, you know," he said when his best friend, and sworn sword, got near.

Xeno laughed as he got off his horse and helped the young prince to his feet. "A man's got to do what he's got to do, my prince."

"That was sweet, Xeno! I'm forever grateful to you for avenging me!" Prince Leo teasingly called from the sidelines.

"I'm glad Xeno was able to restore your honour, Leo," Alyn said in a dry tone which made Prince Leo laugh and Xeno to smirk. The youngest prince then turned back to him. "And so you're finally going to face Ser Giles Christophe."

Xeno's smirk widened at the reminder. "Yes. A dream about to come true," he said, his young face filled with unadulterated glee, making Alyn and Leo smile as they wished their friend good luck.

Georgette watched, with baited breath, as Ser Xeno Gerald and Ser Giles Christophe faced each other on the opposite sides of the courtyard. Secretly, she couldn't wait for the tourney to end so she could finally get a glimpse of the face of the young man hiding under the Crawford armour. The crowd was evenly divided in giving their support to the two men, with excited murmurs echoing amongst the crowd.

The sound of lances bursting violently into tiny pieces echoed across the courtyard when Ser Xeno and Ser Giles finally clashed. Georgette's heart leapt in her throat as she assessed the damage caused by them. No one would be doubting the strength the two knights have as they changed their weapons and lances and prepared to joust again.

It took Ser Xeno and Ser Giles seven jousts before a winner emerged. On the last joust, the younger knight's tourney sword broke Ser Giles' lance first and hit said knight on the chest, causing him to fly out of his horse, a part of his armour cracking in the process.

Cheers erupted as Ser Xeno helped Ser Giles just like what he did to Prince Alyn. The Hero of Wysteria smiled and congratulated the young knight, his disarming smile showing and making the ladies swoon. Georgette almost rolled her eyes at that. Then she, among everyone else, watched as Ser Xeno guided his stallion towards where the king was seated with his daughter, Princess Elise. The king stood up and with Princess Elise clapping at his side, smiled at down at his youngest son's sworn sword. "I, the king of Wysteria, do hereby declare you, Ser Xeno Gerald, as the champion of the King's Tourney." The crowd erupted into cheers once more as the king handed the champion's laurel to the young knight. Then they all watched in anticipation as he mounted his stallion once more, ready to name his Queen of Love and Beauty.

Georgette followed the mysterious knight with her eyes. She was so eager to witness the moment that he would take off his helmet that she didn't notice him approaching. So she gave a little start when she finally noticed him stop in front of her. Swiftly composing herself, she watched as Ser Xeno took off his helmet and revealed his face to her for the very first time.

She didn't err when she thought that his eyes ー or the one that wasn't covered by an eyepatch ー was as dark as the sky before an incoming storm. It was the most captivating eye she had ever seen in twenty years. Ser Xeno was a very handsome young man. His hair, dark as night, was unkempt due to the helmet he wore. He had a high aristocratic nose and his lips were full and reddish for a man, making her wonder what it would feels like kissing him. Shaking her head lightly at her unbidden thoughts, she smiled at him as he placed the laurel on her lap, effectively naming her as the Queen of Love and Beauty. "I am much honoured, dear Ser," she said as she looked up at him, only to let out a soft gasp as something, a distant memory, flashed before her eyes when she saw him smile.

"You're my most favourite person in Stein and in the whole world both known and unknown, my Georgette."

Xeno, who didn't seem to notice anything, brought her hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss on her knuckle. "I am more honoured, my lady, though no flower could ever compare to your beauty."

Georgette swallowed hard to keep her emotions at bay. She must not let anyone know what she's feeling at the moment. It was one of the vital lesson her mother had taught her ー never let anyone know what you're thinking or feeling lest it could be used against you. Mustering up a smile, she curtseyed in front of the young knight. "Thank you, dear Ser."

Xeno bowed politely at her then to his lady mother before galloping off with his horse. Georgette, still a bit shaky, scanned the courtyard eventually meeting the somber crimson eyes of Prince Alyn. They stared at each other for a while before he turned to leave the palace grounds. "Mama, may I be excused?" she asked.

The Lady Howard eyed her daughter for a moment before nodding. "Don't wander too far, child. We're sitting with the King for lunch." When Georgette nodded and immediately left, she shook her head, a fond smile forming on her lips. "Be careful with what you're doing, my sweet Georgette, or you might get your heart broken once again."

[1] A quote by Maester Aemon Targaryen from Game of Thrones [2] Robb Stark’s line in Season 1, Episode 1 of Game of Thrones when he and Jon were getting a haircut. [3] & [4] That famous and overused line from Harry Potter that I really, really like.

#midnight cinderella #fic #byron wagner #and the rest of the suitors sans albert nico and rayvis #robert is there but mentioned only oho #game of thrones setting plus anastasia au #kinda sorta #once upon a december #i love that song

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